"Today's corporate suitors come in more traditional
flavors, with companies like HP, Sun, Compaq and IBM each proudly
professing a "Linux strategy." The Linux community surely
appreciates the cash infusion from these large corporations. Still,
it's a far cry from the free OS's freewheeling, grass-roots
beginnings.
Fortunately, there was still some spirit of fun left at this
year's LinuxWorld. One look at Ximian's booth on the expo floor
would tell you that. Festooned with bamboo, reeds and stuffed
monkeys, the booth more resembled a Disneyland ride than an exhibit
at a computer conference.
The visual contrast between a Ximian and an IBM or HP was
ironic. Besides appearing to have the most lighthearted bunch at
LinuxWorld, this small open-source software vendor might actually
represent Linux's best hope for the future."
